Questions & Answers about בכפר יש מסעדה אחת קטנה ומלון אחד ליד הים.
What does יש mean here, and why isn’t there a normal verb for is/are?
יש is the Hebrew existential word used for there is / there are.
So בכפר יש... means in the village there is...
In Hebrew, the present tense of to be is usually not said in simple sentences, but when you want to say that something exists somewhere, יש is the normal word to use.
Also, יש does not change for gender or number, so the same word works for singular and plural.
Why does the sentence begin with בכפר instead of starting with יש?
Hebrew often puts the place or time first to set the scene.
So בכפר יש... is like saying:
As for the village, there is...
or more naturally, In the village, there is...
You could also say יש בכפר..., and that is grammatical too, but בכפר יש... is very natural and common.
If the meaning is in the village, why don’t I see a separate word for the in בכפר?